Apple Tree Named &#39;Delcored&#39;

ABSTRACT

The new apple tree cultivar was formed by the crossing of the ‘Delblush’ and ‘CO-OP 30’ cultivars. Attractive large bright red-purple fruit is formed wherein such coloration is influenced by the degree of exposure to sunlight. The tree displays a medium-to-large semi-upright to spreading growth habit. The fruit harvest time is late in the season. The fruit flesh is very firm and displays a pleasant juicy sweet taste upon maturity. A quality dessert apple fruit crop is provided.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Malus pumila Mill./Apple Tree

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Delcored

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new apple tree cultivar was created by artificial pollination during1994 at Malicorne, France wherein two parents were crossed in the hopethat they would contribute to the desired characteristics. The femaleparent (i.e., seed parent) was the ‘Delblush’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 10,276). The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the ‘CO-OP 30’cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,193). The parentage of the new cultivarof the present invention can be summarized as follows:

‘Delblush’×‘CO-OP 30’.

Seeds resulting from the pollination were sown and 13 small plantletswere obtained which were physically and biologically different from eachother. Selective study culminating in 2003 resulted in theidentification of a single plant of the new cultivar of the presentinvention.

The new cultivar was found to exhibit the following combination ofcharacteristics:

-   -   (a) displays a medium-to-large semi-upright to spreading growth        habit,    -   (b) forms attractive large fruit that commonly is ready for        harvest later in the season,    -   (c) forms in good yield generally large bright red-purple fruit        having an excellent keeping quality wherein the skin coloration        is influenced by the degree of exposure to sunlight, and    -   (d) displays very firm fruit flesh having a pleasant juicy sweet        flavor upon maturity.

The new cultivar can be readily distinguished from its ancestors and allother apple cultivars known to the originator. More specifically, the‘Delblush’ cultivar forms yellow fruit having an orange overcolor on aportion of the skin, and the ‘CO-OP 30’ cultivar forms Saffron-Yellowfruit having a Cardinal Red overcolor fading to orange.

The new apple cultivar has been found to readily undergo asexualpropagation and can be reproduced by conventional routes, such asbudding (i.e., eye grafting). This asexual reproduction as performed atMalicorne, France has demonstrated that the characteristics of the newcultivar are strictly transmissible from one generation to another andare firmly fixed. Representative rootstocks that can be used with thenew cultivar include PAJAM® brand of 2 Cepiland, M9EMLA and M9NAKB.Other rootstocks also can be considered and utilized taking intoconsideration the soil and other environmental conditions that are to beencountered at a particular growing site.

The new cultivar of the present invention has been named ‘Delcored’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new cultivaras depicted in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to makethe same in color illustrations of this character. The plant materialshown in the photographs was budded on PAJAM® brand of 2 Ceiplandrootstock and was being grown at Malicorne, France during October.

FIG. 1 illustrates specimens of typical foliage and bright purple-redmature fruit ready for harvest;

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of a specimen of a typical brightpurple-red fruit when exposed to the sun ready for harvest as well asthe upper and under surfaces of the foliage;

FIG. 3 illustrates specimens of typical fruit-bearing young trees in anorchard setting;

FIG. 4 illustrates specimens of fruit ready to harvest wherein a typicalfruit disposition is displayed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar of thepresent invention. The description is based upon the observation ofapproximately eight-year-old trees (except as otherwise indicated) whengrown at Malicorne, France, during the 2011-2012 growing season. Theplants had been asexually reproduced while grafted on PAJAM® brand of 2Cepiland rootstock (non-patented in the United States). The chart usedin the identification of colors is that of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England (R.H.S. Colour Chart—2001 Edition). Whencoloration in common terms is provided, such coloration is to beaccorded its ordinary dictionary significance.

-   Classification: Malus Pumila, Mill.-   Tree:    -   -   Size.—medium-to-large, at eight years of age commonly            approximately 2.5 meters in height and approximately 1.8            meters in width.        -   Growth habit.—semi-upright and spreading, ramified, and            somewhat drooping.        -   Vigor.—medium vigor to vigorous when grown on standard ‘M9’            rootstock.        -   Fruit bearing.—appears on one-year-old shoots.        -   Trunk color.—Greyed-Green Group 197B.        -   Branch texture.—generally smooth.        -   Branch color.—grey-green commonly with some Greyed-Purple            Group 187A for one-year-old shoots when fruit is at            commercial maturity.        -   Branch habit.—generally considered to be moderate-to-strong            for the species.        -   Crotch angle.—typically near 65 degrees measured in the            horizontal plane.        -   Annual growth.—commonly approximately 11 to 25 cm when            measured on extension shoots arising from branches            approximately 1.5 meters above ground level.        -   Internodes.—on one-year-old shoots commonly approximately 16            to 23 mm in length and approximately 6 to 7 mm in thickness            measured at the center of the middle internode.        -   Pubescence.—slight.        -   Bark lenticels.—commonly approximately 5 or 6 per square            centimeter.-   Flowers:    -   -   Time.—commonly commence at mid-April at Malicorne, France.        -   Bud color.—Red-Purple Group 59D.        -   Bud shape.—cupuliforme.        -   Bud length.—approximately 10 mm.        -   Bud width.—approximately 8 mm at the widest point.-   Fruit:    -   -   Maturity.—late harvest date, commonly approximately            September 25^(th) to October 10^(th) at Malicorne, France,            and approximately 2 weeks later than the Golden Delicious            cultivar (non-patented in the United States) at such            location.        -   Size.—large.        -   Width.—commonly approximately 8.4 cm on average.        -   Height.—commonly approximately 7.4 cm on average.        -   Weight.—commonly approximately 220 grams on average with            fruit size and weight being influenced by the cultural            practice being employed.        -   Shape.—generally cylindrical.        -   Stem cavity.—approximately 25 to 30 mm in width on average,            and 19.3 mm in depth on average, and commonly with shades of            Yellow-Green Group 153B.        -   Eye.—small, commonly with a partially open aperture, and            with a basin approximately 13.8 mm in width on average and            approximately 15 mm in depth on average.        -   Stem.—commonly approximately 16 to 23 mm in length on            average and commonly approximately 2.5 to 3.5 mm in            thickness on average.        -   Skin texture.—smooth and shiny.        -   Bloom.—present on fruit skin.        -   Cracking.—absent with commonly no tendency for the fruit            skin to crack.        -   Background.—the fruit background color commonly is            Yellow-Orange Group 14B when mature.        -   Overcolor.—commonly approximately 90% of the fruit skin            surface bears a coloration of near Red-Purple Group 60B when            mature. The extent of the overcolor on the mature fruit is            influenced by the location of the fruit on the tree and the            corresponding level of sunlight encountered during the            ripening.        -   Russeting.—commonly absent or sparsely present at the stem            and eye cavities.        -   Lenticels.—generally round in shape, small, and commonly            approximately 0.5 mm in diameter.        -   Firmness.—very firm fruit flesh and commonly approximately 8            to 9 Kg per square cm at harvest.        -   Flavor.—juicy and crisp sweet flavor with a Brix commonly            near 14 on average.        -   Flesh color.—near White Group 155A, with slow browning when            exposed to air.        -   Keeping quality.—excellent.        -   Seed number.—commonly 7 to 10 on average.        -   Seed locules.—commonly closed, 5 in number, and typically 1            or 2 seeds are present per locule.        -   Seed size.—commonly approximately 9 mm in length and            approximately 5 mm in width.        -   Seed color.—commonly near Brown Group 200D.-   Resistance to disease: Resistance to apple scab comparable to that    provided by the Vf gene has been observed during observations to    date. One of the two parental plants possessed the Vf gene, and    after the new cultivar was inoculated with apple scab, resistance    has been observed. A slight susceptibility to mildew has been    encountered.-   Fruit usage: Quality dessert apple with crisp firm flesh, juiciness,    and pleasant sweet taste.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of apple tree having thefollowing characteristics: (a) displays a medium-to-large semi-uprightto spreading growth habit, (b) forms attractive large fruit thatcommonly is ready for harvest later in the season, (c) forms in goodyield generally large bright red-purple fruit having an excellentkeeping quality wherein the skin coloration is influenced by the degreeof exposure to sunlight, and (d) displays very firm fruit flesh having apleasant juicy sweet taste and flavor upon maturity; substantially asherein shown and described.